Gun-supporting platform



E. SCHNEIDER.

GUN SUPPORTING PLATFORM.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-B, 1918.

Patented May 18, 1920.

2 SHEETS'SHEET I- E. SCHNEIDER. (sum SUPPORTING PLATFORM. APPLICATION FILED ADE-8, 191a.

Patented May 18, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- EUGENE SCHNEIDER, or PARIS, FRANCE, ASSIGNOB TO'SCI-INEID'ER & 0113., OF Penis,

FRANCE, A LIMITED JOINT-STOCK COIVIEPANY or FRANCE.

GUN-SUPPORTING PLATFGRM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 18, 1920.

Original application filed July 30, 1917, Serial No. 183,595. Divided and this application filed August 8 T 0 aZZ whom it may concern: H W

Be it known that I, EUoiiNu SCHNEIDER, a citizen of the French Republic, and a resident of 42- Rue dAnjou, Paris, France, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Gun-Supporting Platforms, which invention is fully set forth in the following specification.

The present invention relates to improvements'in gun carriage supports adapted to be mounted on bogies or trucks and supported by depressing and elevating devices, and resides in providing gun supports of the above character with sub-platforms whereby the support and platform are capable of relative turning movement around a common axis. The construction is such that the sub-platform may turn relatively to the gun support when the latter is carried by the bogies, and when the subplatform is lowered and rests on the ground the gun support is enabled to turn on the sub-platform. f

The gun support may assume various forms such as that of a traversing-platform adapted to receive a gun carriage on which a gun is mounted on trunnions, the carriage being adapted to slide on a track during recoil and return to battery. Any suitable depressing and elevating means such as screw jacks may be used to support the gun supporting platform.

The sub-platform is connected in any suitable manner to the underside of the gun support, permitting relative rotation between the support and sub-platform. I preferably make this connection by providing a bracket flange on one of the parts for receiving a sliding flange portion on the companion part, and also connect the support and sub-platform by a pivot. To facilitate relative rotation of thesupport and sub-platform, antifriction bearings are provided such as rollers mounted on one of the parts bearing against the companion part, and to reduce the effects of shock the axes of these bearings are preferably yieldingly mounted. The sub-platform may be, and preferably is, provided with anchoring means such as spades which are adapted to enter the ground when the support and platform are lowered to the ground for firing.

'In order that the invention may be more readily understood, reference is had to the Serial No. 248,996. I

accompanying drawings which illustrate one constructional form of the invention and are intended to assist the description of the invention but not to define the limits thereof.

In said drawings Figure l is a side elevational view of a gun carriage platform embodying my improvements; and

Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof.

In the drawings, S designates a gun support or gun supporting platform of the traversing type on which is mounted a gun carriage T slidable thereon in recoil and return to battery, and carrying a gun provided with trunnions resting in bearings on the carriage. The gun supporting platform S is also provided with two-part collars M connected by hinge pins m. In these collars,

screw-jack bodies or frames are mounted and are adapted to turn. F is the elevating and'depressing screw of the jack and bears on a bracket 1) pivotally engaging the axle B of the bogie wheels. D is a collar on the bracket D adapted to limit the side'to side movement of the axle B in the bracket D.

U is a sub-platform which is revolubly connected to the underside of the gun supporting platform S by peripheral flanges which work in brackets S on the platform and by a pivot V located in the axis of rotation. W are rollers mounted in bearings which support the gun platform. J is a rod up and down which the jack-screw F slides and prevents turning of the screw.

The device thus far described operates as follows Assume the gun supporting platform S elevated and in traveling position. The bogie wheels A rest on the ground and support ontheir axles by means of the jack-screws the entire weight of the gun supporting structure. When the place for conducting firing operations is reached, the sub-platform is turned into the direction for aiming as indicated in position U, Fig. 2. The 1evers L are turned in proper direction to depress screws F and lower the platforms until the sub-platform rests on the ground. Continued movement of lever L will now lift the bogies oif the ground. The gun supporting platform is now rotated into firing position on the sub-platform and the gun is in position to be moved in its vertical plane of firing. To restore the system to its original traveling position, the bogies are lowered in contact with the ground and the operations above described are reversed.

The subject matter herein described and claimed Was originally presented in my copending application Ser. No. 183,595 filed July 30, 1917, of which the present appli cation is a division.

What is claimed is In a traveling gun carriage suport of the character described, a platform having a track adapted to receive a gun supporting carriage slidable on said track during recoil and return to battery, and a sub-platform having a pivot connection with said upper 15 platform having a longer radius of curva- 20 ture than at the opposite end.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification.

EUGENE SCHNEIDER.

Witnesses ANDRE Mos'rmKER, JOHN F. SIMONs. 

